Calls for Team GB to field men’s and women’s football teams at Tokyo 2020 from Games chiefs and England manager Sam Allardyce started before Sunday night’s closing ceremony.

A medal to add to the mountain of GB gongs was almost certainly forfeited because women’s football gold-medal winners Sweden only made it to Rio after England withdrew, having qualified by finishing third in the World Cup.

But the three other home nations remain strongly opposed to having British teams because of fanciful fears of losing their football country independence — despite numerous written FIFA assurances to the contrary.

England boss Sam Allardyce has called for Team GB to enter football teams in the Olympics

UK Sport chief executive Liz Nicholl, who has been consulted by the FA about setting up successful women’s teams, is in no doubt that a GB side would have won a medal in Rio, adding: ‘It would be fantastic to have them on board in Tokyo.’

BOA chief executive Bill Sweeney said: ‘We are all desperately disappointed there wasn’t a football team for Team GB, primarily the women because they are so strong and had a great season, but also on the men’s side.

‘We will be having meetings when we get back to try to sort that out with the FA. If you look at the success of women’s hockey, to have a similar story in football would have been great.’

The FA taking the lead on this issue has seriously irritated Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the past, so it makes sense for Sweeney’s BOA to front what will be difficult negotiations.

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Neymar celebrates after his penalty strike secured gold for Brazil on their home turf

Adidas, who fitted out Team GB in Rio, can claim a considerable victory over Nike in the overall Olympic battle between the sports brand rivals. Athletes in the three stripes won nearly 70 more medals than those in the swoosh kit. But the GB gear designed by Stella McCartney, especially the jarring podium outfits, received mixed reviews. And there are those on the BOA board who want more talks with adidas about the kit designer for Tokyo 2020.

Team GB wore gear designed by Stella McCartney in a partnership with Adidas

The Lawn Tennis Association will be the fortunate beneficiary of a pivotal figure in GB’s success in Rio when UK Sport performance director Simon Timson arrives at Roehampton in October. But Timson, who calls the LTA a ‘sleeping giant’, is not promising any quick fix for tennis’s problems.

He sees an eight-year strategic plan similar to the one underpinning UK Sport’s Olympic triumph before tennis can look forward to seeing the benefits of such a policy.

Timson is being succeeded at UK Sport by deputy director of performance Chelsea Warr, who just happens to be an LTA independent director. However, Warr played no part in Timson’s appointment and is also stepping down from the LTA board.

UK Sport performance director Simon Timson speaks to the media prior to the Rio Games

Signage for the Rio Olympics was suddenly more evident around the city on Sunday — just ahead of the closing ceremony. Rio 2016 have only themselves to blame for the lack of publicity material, having agreed a discount deal with an Azerbaijani company. The Azerbaijanis subcontracted the work to a Ukrainian firm, with the manufacturing done in China, where two planeloads of signage were still on the runway when the Games started.

AUSSIES AREN'T BITTER

The feelgood factor after Team GB’s record-breaking Rio Games is only heightened by the demise of arch Olympic rivals Australia, who finished eight places below the British in the medal table.

But the Aussies’ outspoken chef de mission Kitty Chiller, who is promising a thorough review after her team underperformed so dramatically, was remarkably gracious when asked whether Team GB’s gold rush had aggravated her.

Chiller said: ‘I’m not annoyed at all about GB. They did exactly what they said they would do, so congratulations to them.

‘I’m good mates with Mark England, the GB chef de mission, and sent him a number of “Well done” texts during the Games. Good on yer, mate, but watch out.’

Australia chef de mission Kitty Chiller has congratulated Team GB on their medal haul

BOA and UK Sport executives will be in economy class for their British Airways flight home from Rio on Monday night, to allow room for all the GB Olympic medallists — around 90 of them — in the three superior cabin classes.